Spring-pivot



E. BQMMEB. SPRING PiVOT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2i I919.

Patented Mar; 9,1920.

EMIL noivnvrna, or BROOKLYN, new YORK.

srnme-rrvor."

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M3 9, 1920,

Application filed September 2, 1919. Serial No. 321,072.

To all whom itmay concern Be it knownthat I, EMIL BOMMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county'of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Pivots, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring pivots, and has for its primary object to provide means whereby the spring which tends to hold the door or other movable part in a normal position may be caused to retain the door .under spring tension in its closed position, in either oftwo open positions, or may be rendered entirely inactive to admit of the free swinging movement of the door.

It is a "more particular object of the present improvements to provide a spring pivot bracket and spring engaging arm of suc construction that the arm may be readily adjusted in the bracket either as a unit with the spring and the pivot, or independently thereof so that said arm can be positioned out of operative relation to the spring.

My invention also contemplates a construction which is simple and inexpensive and in which the adjustments above referred to may be easily and quickly made, the device as a whole being efiicient and'reliable in operation and can be manufactured at comparatively small cost.

Having the aforementioned objects in view, the present invention comprehends certain novel and improved combinations of mechanical elements and the structural characteristics thereof, as will be more fully developed in the following description and subsequently in'corporated in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated one satisfactory embodiment of my invention, and in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating one practical embodiment of my improved spring pivot, the spring being under tension to normally hold the door in a closed position;

Fig. 2 is a-section taken on the line-22 of Fig. 1;

gitudinally extending rib 12.

v Fig; 3 is aview similar to'Fig. 1 but showing the'spring engaging arm after it has been adjusted out of operative relation to the spring so that the spring will not be tensionedwhen the door is operated;

Fig. 4: is-a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the spring engaging arm and the pivot after adjustment as" a unit relativeto the supporting bracket to hold the do'orunder springtension in an open position; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the adj ustable arm. I

Referring in ignates a cylindrical housing'or casing having a base wall 6 and an arm 7 projecting radially therefrom and provided with spaced openings to receive screws'or other suitable elements, whereby said housing may be securely fixed to a door or other movable part. It Willbe understood, as the description proceeds, that the housing 5 is not an essential element of the present invention, and may be eliminated. It is suflicient to provide merely an extension from the base wall 6 with which the ends of the pivot spring may normally engage in the manner to be presently stated.

A central pivot post 9 extends axially through the housing 5 as herein illustrated, and is either fixed to or integrally formed within the base wall 6. At its extremity which projects beyond the open end of the housing 5, this post is reduced in diameter as at 10 to thereby form an annular shoulder 11. The annular wall of the housing?) is provided upon its inner surface with a lon- The coiled pivot spring 13 surrounds the post 9 and one end of this spring is laterally extended as'at 14 and engaged against one edge of the rib 12. The other end of the spring 13 is preferably, though not necessarily, longitudinally directed as shown at 15 and the terminal 16 thereof is laterallv extended and enge ed against the opposite edge of the rib 12. It will be understood that in the normal condition of this spring, it is only under sufficient tension to maintain its' terminal portions in abutting. contact with the edges of said rib.

detail to the drawing, 5 des-- The pivot supporting bracket 17 includes an arm 18 and an extension 19 whereby the bracket may be securely fixed to the door jamb J or other stationary part. In the drawing I have illustrated this attaching means for the bracket in the form of a U shape plate or extension to receive the edge of the door jamb, partition or other part, said bracket being securely fixed thereto by means of suitable screws or bolts indicated at 20. However, in lieu of this U shaped attaching plate, I may provide the arm 18 simply with a flat metal plate extending atright angles to the arm to be fastened to the edgeof the door jamb and secured thereto by means of suitable screws. The bracket arm 18 is formed with an opening 21 which preferably tapers and is of rectangular or other polygonal shape.

An arm 22 is provided on one of its ends with a lateral extension 23, with which a tapered lug 24 is integrally formed, said lug corresponding in its cross sectional form to the shape of the opening 21 in which it is adapted to be removably engaged. The lug 24 is provided with a socket or cavity 25 to loosely receive the reduced end 10 of the pivot post 9. The angular shoulder 11 on the post 9 has bearing contact upon the extension 23 of the arm 22. It will, however, be understood that, if desired, in practice suitable anti-friction bearing balls may be interposed between the reduced end of the pivot post and the wall of the lug 24.

The arm 22 is of arcuate shape in cross section and substantially concentric to the face of the rib 12 as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing. In one position of this arm, with respect to said rib, it is disposed between the spaced ends 14 and 16 of the spring 13. Thus when the door D or other movable part is swung in either direction, from the closed position seen in Fig. 1, this arm bearing against one or the other end of the spring will move said spring end away from the rib 12 and thereby place said spring under additional tension so that when pressure against the door is removed the door will be immediately returned to its closed position.

It may, however, sometimes be desirable to secure the door or other movable part, in an open position at either side of the position seen in Fig. 1 at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the supporting bracket 17, without thus tensioning the spring. In such case, the spring may be rendered-inactive by removing the arm 22 from between the spring ends and adjusting the lug 24 in the opening of the bracket arm 18 so that the arm 22 will be disposed at the opposite side of the spring and in the position seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing when the door is in a closed position. In other Words, the arm is moved 180 degrees from the position which it normally occupies between the spring ends. Thus the door can be readily swung in one direction or the other from the position seen in Fig. 3 through an arc of 90 degrees, and can then be fastened back in open position by using an ordinary hook and eye or other similar device.

It will be understood that at the upper end of the door, an ordinary pivot and socket may be provided or any other suitable form of hinge or door pivot may be employed which will permit of the lifting of the door for the purpose of adjusting the separable arm 22 in the manner above described.

In case it may be desired to hold the door open, at either side of the closed position and under spring tension, the arm 22 remains between the ends of the spring and the door together with the pivot post and the arm are adjusted as a unit until the door is disposed at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the bracket arm 18 when the lug 24 is engaged in the opening in said arm. Thus the door will now be held under the 1 tension of the spring and it is not necessary to provide a hook or other fastening means therefor.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction and several advantages of my improved double acting spring pivot, will be clearly and fully understood. The pivot may be advantageously used upon numerous structures having a door or other part mounted for swinging movement in either of two directions from the median position. By the provision of a spring engaging arm, whereby the spring may be rendered active or inactive at will, when the door is in a closed or open position, the utility and convenience of such spring pivots in general use is greatly enhanced. I have attained this desirable result without complicating the construction of such double acting spring pivots as they are now known in the art. The improved spring pivot can also be manufactured in various sizes for application to different structures, and though I have referred to the housing 5 or other analogous element as being secured to the movable part while the bracket 17 is on the stationary or fixed part, its relationship may be reversed if the exigencies of the particular case should necessitate.

In the preceding description and the ac companying draw1ng,'I have disclosed one practical embodiment of the invention which however may likewise be exemplified in numerous alternative constructions. Accordingly, the invention as herein claimed is to be considered as inclusive of all legitimate equivalents for the various elements employed as well as other contemplated arrangements thereof which may satisfactorily accomplish the desired result.

I claim: f

1. A spring pivot comprising fixed and movable parts, a spring to yieldingly retain the movable part in a normal position, and spring tensioning means adjustable with respect to one of said parts, either independently of the other part or as a unit therewith to thereby hold the movable part under spring tension when disposed in different positions relative to the fixed part, or to render the spring inactive and permit of the unretarded movement of the movable part in either of two directions.

2. A spring pivot comprising a pivot post a fixed supporting bracket for said post, a spring yieldingly resisting pivotal rotation of the post in either direction, and spring tension means adjustable as a unit with said post in relation to the bracket or adjustable independently of the post to an inoperative position with relation to the spring to thereby render the spring inactive and permit of the unretarded rotation of the pivot post.

3. A spring pivot comprising a pivot post, a fixed supporting bracket for said post, a spring yieldingly resisting pivotal rotation of the post in either direction, and an adjustable part mounted in said bracket and having a seat for the pivot post, said part being adjustable as a unit with said post inrelation to the bracket or adjustable upon the bracket independently of the post to an inoperative position with relation to the spring to thereby render the spring inactive and permit of the unretarded rotation of the pivot post.

4. A spring pivot comprising a pivot post, a fixed supporting bracket for said post, a spring yieldingly resisting pivotal rota tion of the post in either direction, and an adjustable part mounted in the bracket and having a seat for the post, said adjustable part in one position extending between the ends of said spring to tension the spring in either direction from normal position said adjustable part in another position being out of operative relation to the spring ends whereby the spring is rendered inactive.

5. A spring pivot comprising a pivot post and an abutment spaced from the post and in fixed relation thereto, a supporting bracket for said post, a spring surrounding the post and having its ends engaged against the opposite sides of the abutment, and a part adjustably mounted in the bracket and having a sea for the post, said part in one position extending between the I whereby the spring resists pivspring ends otal movement of the post in either direction, the said part and the post being adjustable as a unit with respect to the bracket and'said part being alsoadjustable independently of the post to dispose the same out of operative'relation to the spring ends whereby the, spring is rendered inactive.

6. A spring pivot comprising a housing having a fixed post therein, the spring surrounding said post, a pivot bracket, an arm separable from said bracket and adjustable with respect thereto, said arm having a seat to receive one end of the post, the arm in one position with respect to the bracket extending into the housing between the ends of the spring to tension the spring when the housing and post are rotated in either direction from a normal position, said arm being adjustable upon the bracket to a position out of operative relation to the spring ends whereby the spring is rendered inactive.

Z. A spring pivot comprising a housing having a fixed post therein, a spring surrounding said post, a pivot bracket provided with a polygonal shaped ,opening, an arm having a lug on one end for removable and adjustable engagement in said opening, the said lug having a seat to receive one end of the. pivot post, the arm in one position with respect to the bracket extending into the housing between the ends oi said spring to tension the spring when the housing is rotated in either direction from a normal position, said arm in another position being disposed out of operative relation to the spring ends whereby the spring is rendered inactive.

8. A spring pivot comprising a housing, having a. fixed post therein, a spring surrounding said post, a pivot bracket, a nonrotata'ble arm having av lug, said bracket provided with means with which the lug detachably and adjustably coacts, said lug having a seat for one end of the pivot post and the arm in one position extending between the ends of the spring to tension the spring when the housing is rotated in either direction from a said pivot post and the arm being adjustable as a unit with respect to the bracket, said arm being independently adjustable on the bracket to dispose the arm out of operative relation to the spring ends whereby the spring is rendered inactive.

9. A pivot comprising a housing having a fixed pivot post therein, the wall of the housing being provided on its inner surface with a longitudinally extending rib, a spring surrounding said post and having its ends laterally extended and respectively engaged against the opposite edges of the rib, a pivot bracket having an opening therein, and an arm provided with a lug on one end for non-rotatable and adjustable engagenormal position,

ment in said opening, said lug having a seatposed out of operative relation to the spring to receive one end of the post and the arm ends whereby the spring is rendered inacin one position extending between the spring tive. 10 ends to tension the spring when the hous- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as ing is rotated in either dir ction from a my invention, I have signed my name herenormal position, said arm When adjusted under.

to another position in the bracket being dis- EMIL BOMMER. 

